Jerome Gambit: IM Eric Rosen's Video

 

Yury Bukayev informed me that IM Eric Rosen's new YouTube video, titled "Winning as Quickly as Possible with TRICKY Gambits" contains a new Jerome Gambit miniature.

IM Rosen tries the Jerome "just for the LOLs" and wins before he even realizes it. 

Just like the Jerome.

Jerome Gambit: I highly recommend it

If you have spent any time looking for or looking at chess videos, you most likely have encountered those created by Kevin at thechesswebsite.com. They are all fun and worth a look.

I have previously recommended the Jerome Gambit video. It takes a nice, encouraging approach to our favorite opening.

Recently the site came out with a video on the "Top 8 Chess Gambits". It is no surprise that the Jerome Gambit ranked #4, with the comment about the opening, "I highly recommend it".

JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 8)

 

JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 8)

(by Yury V. Bukayev)

As a further development of my Part 2 (the post of October, 16, 2020 on Rick Kennedy’s blog), this continuation of my theoretical research on the standard line of the Jerome gambit (JG) is about another White’s good way after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+! Ke7 8.Qc3!? Bxf2+!? 9.Kxf2!? Qf8+. Thus, White can play 10.Ke1!? N [This my new invention allows to prevent a rapid counter attack: there will be no Black’s rapid check from the square g4.] 10…Qf4 11.Qb4+ [The ways 11.Qa3+ d6 12.Nc3! and 11.Qc5+ Kd8 12.Nc3! d6 13.Qb5 are good too.] 11…d6 12.Nc3!. It maybe, it’s the strongest White’s way after 7…Ke7. White’s main threat is here 13.Nd5, but White has else threats: 13.d4, 13.d3.

For example, after 12…c6 White can get a strong attack: 13.d4 [13.d3 is possible too.] 13…Qh4+ 14.g3 Nf3+ 15.Kf2 Qf6! 16.e5! Nxe5+ 17.Bf4! Nf7 [17…Ng6? 18.Ne4!] 18.Rhe1+ [18.Rae1+ and 18.Ne4 are possible too.] 18…Kd7 19.Ne4!. Black has an extra Knight, but White stands better.

Here we start to think that Black’s counter attack 8…Bxf2+!? isn’t ultra-strong theoretically, it maybe, but it isn’t clear yet. In any case, here White keeps very good practical chances to fight, and it’s a very strong argument for your cautious opponent to prefer 7…Kf7 8.Qh5+ to 7…Ke7.

Of course, the Natural star Jerome gambit deferred (the strong deferred line of JG) will be much more attractive for a lot of experts of the modern chess opening theory than the standard line of JG, but the defence 6…Ke6 after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ requires their new attention and large revision already now, we can understand.

Jerome Gambit: Don't Take The Rook

Currently, most of my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games are played in Italian Game or Guioco Piano tournaments at Chess.com.

Occasionally, I am challenged by someone who is interested in taking or facing the Jerome.

The following game revolves around one piece of advice: If you are playing the Jerome Gambit against Whistler's Defense, don't take the Rook.

I did not out-play my opponent, he simply stepped in a bear trap.

I know that Jerome Gambit superstars like angelcamina, chessmanjeff, DutchLiLi, mwfakalhaswa, shugart, UNPREDICTABLE, Bill Wall, ZahariSokolov and even Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, himself, have taken the Rook and survived - but I recommend against it.

Here's why.

F0nix - perrypawnpusher

3d/move, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's Defense, named after Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, who played the defense - successfully - against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in a correspondence match in 1876. 

Don't. Take. The. Rook.

Either 8.Qf4+ or 8.Qxe7+ could lead to tedious, but more promising play.

8.Qxh8 

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Re1 

After the game, the Chess.com computer grumbled that this move was an "inaccuracy", but at this point it really doesn't matter. Black's King is relatively safe, White's King, not so much.

11...d5 12.Qh4 

Instead, 12.d4 Bg4+ 13.Kd2 Qxf2+ 14.Re2 Qxe2+ 15.Kc3 Qc4+ 16.Kd2 Qxd4+ 17.Ke1 Qd1 checkmate was blackburne - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008. 

12...Bg4+ 13.Re2 Qf1 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: When is a Won Game Won? (Part 3)

 

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Kugich

3d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament

Chess.com, 2021

At this point in the game I was concerned that my opponent might focus a Rook and a Bishop on my pawn at g2, requiring me to guard it with my Queen. I would be willing to make the exchange of pieces if I had swapped off the "extra" Rook, and if I had grabbed enough pawns to make the resulting King plus pawns vs King plus pawns endgame a favorable one. That became my plan.

24...Bf5 24.Qa5 Bg6 25.Qxc7+ Kg8 

26.Qc4+ 

26.Qxd6 was okay, but I didn't want to see 26...Rad8 with pressure on my d-pawn.

26...Bf7 27.Qd3 Bg6 28.Qd2 h5 29.Re1 Rxe1+ 30.Qxe1 Re8 

I would be comfortable with a pawn or two more.

31.Qb4 Re7 32.Qxd6 Re1+ 33.Kh2 Re2 

The enemy Rook is in place.

34.Qb8+ Kg7 35.Qxb7+ Kh6 36.c3 

I was concerned that if I grabbed one more pawn with 36.Qxa7, that would allow 36...Be4, with the double attack at g2. After the game, however, Komodo 12 pointed out that 37.Qa6+ would then lead to checkmate in 17 moves.

36...h4 

Further planning to hold back White's g-pawn. Of course, not 36...Be4 because of 37.Qa6+ Kg5 38.Qxe2, winning the Rook.

37.Qf3 

Bringing the Queen closer to the point of defense, g2. Also, I had noticed something odd about the position. 

37...Rxb2 38.d5 

It turns out that Black does not have an effective way to stop the advancing passed pawn. He must be careful, in his attempts, that he doesn't allow White's Queen to attack a loose piece and check the King at the same time.

At this point, my opponent allowed his clock to run down, and 

White won on time

Jerome Gambit: When is a Won Game Won? (Part 2)

 

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Kugich

3d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament

Chess.com, 2021

The position becomes more complicated, as it moves into the middlegame. I was fortunate to be on familiar ground until move 20 - just like a "real" chess opening!

13...Neg4

Attacking White's Queen is a logical idea, although 13...Nc6, as in perrypawnpusher - Heler, "Giuoco Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 33);  perrypawnpusher - apurv83,"Giuoco Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, "Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (0-1, 44); and perrypawnpusher - Bossferreira, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 33), is probably better. Possibily 13...Ned7, a novelty according to The Database, is best.

14.Qb3+ Kf8 15.h3 Nh6 

A little bit of Jerome Gambit history helps here. The text move leads to an even game. Instead, 15...Rxe4, from Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match, 1876 (1-0, 34), gives Black about a half-pawn edge. The novelty, according to The Database, 16.Nc3, improves - according to Stockfish 14 - on the Mexican champion's 16.hxg4, although it drops the d-pawn.

16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nd2 

This is a critical position for the line, and the fifth time I have been here. All but one of my opponents grabbed the e-pawn. Black tried 17...b6 in perrypawnpusher - sincondrosis, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com 2020 (1-0, 31), and I got my Queen back into play with 18.Qe3, with a slight edge.

17...Nxe4 18.f6 Nxd2

Black recognized the danger of the advanced f-pawn and played 18...Be6, instead, to impede it in perrypawnpusher - TobiasBrunner, "Let's Play the Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 32).

Instead, Black grabbed the f-pawn with 18...Nxf6 in perrypawnpusher - warwar, "The Italian Battleground" tournament, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 39).

The Knight at d2, however, was a bigger prize and tempting enough to be captured. That is a mistake, however.

19.Qg3 

19...Qd7 

perrypawnpusher - BunnyWarrior, "Guioco Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 20) punished greed immediately with 19...Nxf1 20.Qg7 checkmate.

20.f7 Qxf7 21.Rxf7+ Kxf7 22.Qf4+ Kg7  23.Qxd2 

White has a Queen for a Rook and a Bishop, a winning advantage. The question is, how to bring home that win?

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: When is a Won Game Won? (Part 1)

In my latest Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, in the ongoing "Piano Piano" tournament at Chess.com, I managed to side-step some opening issues, arriving at a tricky middle game position that I was familiar with. In fact, it soon led to what Stockfish 14 later would indicate was a "won" game. Still, it seemed like one more challenge, reminding me of the lament, The hardest thing to win is a 'won' game.

I have included a number of links in my comments, to give Readers more information on the lines of play and their alternatives.

 

perrypawnpusher - Kugich

3d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament 

Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+  Ng6 

I commented upon this move in my recent post on my recent game, perrypawnpusher - jjdd57, 3 d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2021

Once again the Chess.com computer fusses that this is an "inaccuracy" (of about 1 1/4 pawns), preferring 6...Kf8. Fair enough. The Database shows 2,874 games with 6...Ng6, with Black scoring 45%, against 941 games with 6...Kf8, where Black scored 50%.

My own record in 137 previous games with White against 6...Ng6 is 79% (with virtually no difference in results between 6...Ng6 and 6...Kf8).

YMMV.

It is important to remember that a move that a computer labels an "inaccuracy" may be simply one choice amongst many for the average club player, approaching a distinction without a difference.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 

Again, here is another computer-generated non-issue. In annotating perrypawnpusher - jjdd57, 3 d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2021 I noted

Interestingly enough, the Chess.com computer considers this move only "good", assessing 7...Ke8 as "best". The difference would be moot if I had played the "best" move on move 9 [after 8.Qxc5 Qe7, then 9.Qxe7+], exchanging Queens - in which case it would not matter on which of the two squares the Black King was, as the computer considered capture by the King (instead of the Knight) as "best".

The Database nods ever so slightly: 7...Kf8 appears in 362 games, with Black scoring 32%; 7...Ke8 appears in 782, with Black scoring 34%.

I think this is another example of how a strong computer chess program can provide intellectually interesting insights of little practical value to club players. Of course, tactical insights are another thing, and I appreciate and prize those efforts.

 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

Is "gazillion" a real number? It feels like I have been in this position a gazillion times before.

Actually, the number is 14, the most recent example being perrypawnpusher - Bossferreira, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020. (Of course, if you place the Black King on e8, you can add 60 more games to that list, the newest of which is perrypawnpusher - acasimon1987, 3 d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2021).

I have seen 9...Kf7 previously; it usually transposes.

Instead, 9...Ne5 was an unusual idea, but brought Black success in perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 25).

The provocative 9...Be6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - jamtaylo, blitz, Welcome Jerome Gambit tournament, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 27) and perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 38)

10.O-O  Nf6 11.f4 Re8 

This direct pressure on the e-pawn has been a favorite of my opponents the last few years. It has its origin in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match, 1876 (1-0, 34).

12.f5 

I had recently tried 12.Qb3+, in perrypawnpusher - acasimon1987, 3 d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2021. As I noted

This is a move that I mentioned in "Jerome Gambit: Enthusiast", and I shared my curiosity about it in "Jerome Gambit: Mixed Feelings (Part 1)". The goal is simply to disrupt the castling-by-hand.

Earlier in the tournament, I had tried 12.f5 in perrypawnpusher - sincondrosis, 3d/move "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020, (1-0, 31).

Also possible is 12.d3, although after White meets 12...d5 with 13.e5, if he eventually wants his pawn on d4 it will take a second move to get it there.

12...Ne5 

A mistake is 12...Rxe4, as White has 13.fxg6+ (perrypawnpusher - grosshim, blitz, FICS, 2016 [1-0, 13]) Kg8 (not 13...hxg6 14.Qxe4, perrypawnpusher - bnxr, blitz, FICS, 2011 [1-0, 29]; nor 13...Kxg6 14.Rxf6+ Qxf6 15.Qxe4, perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2011 [0-1, 18 ] ) 14.gxh7+ Kh8 15.Qf2 and White is better.

Instead 12...Nh4 puts the Knight offside, but Black eventually won in perrypawnpusher - ecotom, 10 2 blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 35).

The cautious 12...Nf8 is a good idea, as in perrypawnpusher - hamaru, 2 12 blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 36).

13.d4

Here we have a very Jerome-ish position: White has 2 extra pawns for his sacrificed piece, and he is putting them in motion to gain space in the center, as a prelude for an attack on the King.

[to be continued]